The Wheeling repository. [volume], April 14, 1808, Page 372, Image 4

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IK cd every explanation that can threw
light on the probable turn and issue of
things with Great Britain.
I have the honour to he, Soc.
(S ■ StiC^) J AM ES M A PISON.
[Mr. Canning to Mr. Munroe.1
(Private.)
Foreign Office, Saturday. July 25, l so7.
Mr. Canning presents ins compli
ments to Mr. IViunroe j and with senti
ments ot the deepest regret, hastens to
miorm him that intelligence has just
■teen received ol a transaction which
has taken place ot:'the coast of Ameri
ca, Di tween a ship ot war ol his majesty,
niul a frigate belonging to the United
States ; the result of which has been the
'oss oi some lives on board the Ameri
can frigate.
i he particulars of this transaction
-mu the grounds of the justification of
.he British officer, and of the admiral
under whose orders he acted, Mr. Cam
’-•ng is not at present able to communi
cate to Mr. Munroe.
it i»lr. M unroe shouul have received
uny accounts of it, Mr. Canning trusts
hat he will lose no time in communi
cating them to Mr. Canning.
But whatever the real merits and
h..i actor ot too transaction may turn
eut to be, Mr. Canning could not for
bear expressing without delay the sin
cere concern and sorrow which he feels
•t its unfortunate result; 8c assuring the
American minister, both from himself
•tnd on the behalf ol his majesty’s go
vernment, that if the British officers
bhould prove to have been culpable, the
.nost prompt and effectual reparation
ahall be afforded to the government of
the U. States.
James Munroe, Esq. UY. &c. &c.
[To Mr. Canning.]
Mr. Munroe presents his. compli
ments to Mr. Canning, and is much
oblidged to him for the information
communicated in his note of Saturday.
Jdr. INI unroe has heard with extreme
regret the account it contains of a ren
countre hetwei n a liritish ship of war
and an American frigate off the coast
of the United States. lie has no know
ledge of the subject except what Mi.
Canning’s note has furnished ; hut will
not fail to communicate the earliest in
telligence which lie may receive of an
event so deeply to he lamented. Mr.
Munroe derives in th» mean time much
satisfaction frogi the friendly assurance
of Mr. Canning, that this unfortunate
occurrence was not authorized by his
majesty’s government, and that suitable
reparation will be made for the injury,
if on inquiry the British officer shall be
iound the aggressor.
‘ or tlun d plice, rdondn", c/ >dy 27, 1 807.
I ne right hon% Georgs Canning, £pV. Ufs.
[Mr. Munroe to Mr. Madison.]
t London, August 4-th^ 1807.
oia I avail my sell ol the opportu
nity afiorded by Mr. Biddle, to commu
nicate a correspondence, and the sub
stance of a conference between Mr.
Canning and myself, relative to the late
aggression on the pcsitc and sovereignty
of the United States, by the British ship
Leopard, in an attack on the Chesapeake,
off the Capes oi V irginia.
Mr. Canning’s private letter of July
25> which gave the first intelligence of
the occurrence, left it doubtful whether
the British officers had been culpable in
it , and as I knew how very reprehensi
ble their conduct had been on our coast
on many other occasions, and to what
height the sensibility of our citizens had
been excited by it, I thought it not im
probable that something might have oc
curred to divide the blame between the
parties. It was under that impression
that my answer was written. On the
next day the leading features of the
transaction were presented to the public
through the medium of the gazettes,
which were taken from private accounts
received directly from Halifax, by a ves
sel which had been dispatched by ad
miral Berkley with the official one. By
these it was evident that the British of
ficer was completely the aggressor, in an
outrage of great enormity/attended with
circumstances which increased the of
fence. It was understood likewise,
from good authority, that the official in
telligence which the government had
received, corresponded with and con
firmed the other accounts alreadv before
the public.
On full consideration of these circum
stances, I concluded that it would be
highly improper for me to leave the af
fair on the ground on which 31 r. Can
ning had placed it. I could see no other
motive in him to obtain further infor
mation relative to the transaction, than
for the purpose of ascertaining whether
the mm said to be deserters, and for
w hom the attack was made, were Ame
rican citizens or British subjects ; to
wliich it was impossible for me to give
*ny countenance. I thought it indis
pensable, therefore, to call on the go
vernment to disavow the principle, and
to engage such other reparation to the
United States, as their Injured honour
obviously required. It appeared to me,
tnat any delay in taking that step, which
depen led on. an abstract principle, and
required no argument to illustrate, cr
facts to support it, would have a tenden
cy to weaken a claim which was ttnques
tioie.b'e, and to countenance the idea
tin; It would not be supported with suit
able i. ih rgy.
1 had, before the knowledge of this
event, obtained the appointment of an
interview with Mr. Canning on other
bu iness, to take place on the 29di ult.
Vv’e met according to the appointment.
I obs -rved, it: opening the conference,
that atthough the topics which had bro’t
us together were important, the late oc
currence at the entrance of the Chcsa
peake, had in a great measure put them
ovit cl sight. He expressed his regret
t iat such an event, which would at all
times iurniah cause of concern, should
have happened at the present time. lie
asked it the men in question were A
mencan citizens, or British subjects?
I replied that that was a point which
could not come into view in the case:;
that it was one which according as the
-‘act might be, would make the cause
more or less popular, m either country,
but could not affect the principle : that
on principle, a ship of war protected all
the people on hoard, aud could not be
entered to !>c searched lor deserters, or •
for any purpose, without violating the
sovereignty oi the nation whose flag she
bore ; that in the present case i had
been assured, that the. men were Ame
rican citizens, and that the. British mi
nister at Washington had been made ac
quainted with it. He said little on the
subject, but by the tendency of what he
did say, seemed to imply that his gov
ernment could not lose sight of the con
sideration above alluded to; nor indeed,
bid he admit by any thing that escaped
him, that the abstract principle itself
would not be insisted on. Hisremarks
however were generally of a conciliato
ry and friendly character ; without
pledging himself on any point, he se* m
ed desirous to satisfy me, that no new
orders had been issued by the present
ministry to the commandant of the Bri
tish squadron at Halifax. I observed, *
th as the notes which had passed be
tween us, were informal, and on a v*ry